News stories hype up a future – perhaps even a near future – of “driverless trucks” rolling from port to store, farm to factory, their trailers full and their cabs empty. This view of the future is nothing shy of unrealistic and misleading.

Automated driving technology is already in many passenger vehicles driven on our roads today. Automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist and warning, blind spot detection, and adaptive cruise control are all contributing “Level 2” technologies that will someday support “Level 4” fully autonomous vehicles. Connected cars and vehicle to infrastructure communication is key to making that happen.

To achieve autonomy, current technologies require dedicated spectrum. And if the Federal Communications Commission allocates such spectrum to safety, vehicles can then talk to one another. It is this connected technology that is considered by engineers as the catalyst for improving safety, as well as reducing congestion and emissions.

AUTOMATED TRUCKS WILL TACKLE DRIVER SHORTAGE

Eventually, it’s this same connected technology for passenger vehicles that could help ease the chronic shortage of truck drivers. There are more than 3.5 million truck drivers in the United States. All of them are trained and licensed professionals. The types of automation being discussed and tested now won’t replace them, but assist them in their task of delivering more than 10 billion tons of freight annually. The leading benefit of automation is to further improve safety on our nation’s highways. Since 1980, truck-involved fatal crashes have fallen 32%, and the fatal crash rate – which accounts for increases in driving and miles traveled – has plummeted 74%. This is due in part to technological improvements in both large trucks and passenger vehicles.

But that’s not good enough. Driver behaviors such as speeding and texting continue to challenge efforts to reduce accidents further. Advances in automated and connected driving technology could be the solution for bringing the number of highway fatalities where it should be – zero.

As a safety-first industry and an industry that invests in proven technology, many questions remain to be answered about automated and connected driving technology. New automated technologies, like the ones previously adopted by the trucking industry, will go through extensive testing in controlled environments before being implemented by fleets.

AUTOMATION WILL ASSIST DRIVERS – NOT REPLACE THEM

These new technologies all assist drivers in being safer, correcting for bad decisions or bad circumstances and reducing crashes. The key word being “assist,” because it is a long time off before large trucks would ever head out from distribution centers without a human being in the cab. Automation and technology can, and already do, make trucks safer, but all pieces of technology are subject to glitches – to false sensor readings, to errors or worse, to malfunctions intentionally caused by others – in other words, being hacked. That’s why the driver will continue to play a pivotal role, and potentially an expanded role, bringing opportunities for further career training to address newly in-demand skills.

Trucking - the backbone of the U.S. economy. (Photo: Fotolia / javarman)

U.S. Carriers currently spend roughly $9.5 billion annually on safety. While some of that is for new technology, $3.5 billion of that figure is for driver training. Emerging technologies can assist these well-trained drivers, improving their skills and relieving some of the stresses of the job, but it cannot replace them in the near future. There will continue to be a place for a trained professional in the cab for the foreseeable future when it comes to moving freight. Even with such concepts like platooning, the automated technologies that could benefit trucking are unlikely to reduce the size of trucking’s workforce, but rather increase freight capacity and the number of maintenance technicians needed as fleets will depend on developers and IT professionals to maintain and service these new advanced systems.

Trucking will continue to carry a growing volume of freight in the U.S. as our economy grows and the demand for increased commerce and efficiencies loom. The trucks that move America’s goods will continue to have hard-working, well-trained, professional men and women in them. They may be assisted by technology, but they will still be at the wheel… delivering our freight safely and efficiently every day.

IN SUMMARY:

Automated Trucks could help ease the chronic shortage of truck drivers

Automation will assist and support, not replace truck drivers

Automation will assist drivers in being safer and further reducing crashes, bringing the no. of highway fatalities to zero.

Automated Trucks could relieve some of the stresses of the truck driver’s job and will bring opportunities for further career training to address newly in-demand skills.

New technological concepts will generate additional potential, such as freight capacity and jobs for maintenance technicians.